1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to the art of building construction and more specifically to operable windows used in building construction.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Glass blocks have been widely used for decades in the construction industry as partitions, exterior walls, and windows in buildings of all kinds. Glass block windows offer a variety of advantages over conventional, operable (i.e., openable) windows. For example, glass block windows have been widely used for protection against vandalism or break-ins. Glass block windows also offer protection against the elements, particularly hurricanes and other violent storms. Because of the construction of glass blocks, glass block windows are energy efficient and they also reduce the transmission of noise from the outside to the interior of the building.
Glass block windows may be constructed by cementing, or otherwise permanently connecting, a number of glass blocks together to form a panel of an appropriate size for the desired opening. The panel of glass blocks is then permanently affixed in the opening. It is precisely because of that rigid, permanent, panel construction that many of the above-identified advantages are possible. However, it is also because of that rigid, permanent and fixed attachment of the panel to the surrounding structure that glass block windows suffer from a number of disadvantages.
Because of the impossibility of opening a glass block window, fire codes may prohibit their use particularly when there is only one window in a room and no other safe fire escape is available as proscribed by law. Additionally, the inability to open a glass block window obviously prohibits venting of a room to let in fresh air. Although vents can be installed in a glass block window, they interfere with the aesthetic value of the glass block window. Finally, because of the fixed attachment of the panel to the surrounding structure, it is impossible to clean the outside of the glass block window from the interior of the structure.
Thus, the need exists for a glass block window which is capable of functioning as a traditional operable window while retaining the desirable features of a glass block window.